The lack of advance planning in a public health emergency can lead to wasted resources and inadvertent loss of lives. This study is aimed at forecasting the needs for healthcare resources following the expansion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the Republic of Kazakhstan, focusing on hospital beds, equipment, and the professional workforce in light of the developing epidemiological situation and the data on resources currently available. We constructed a forecast model of the epidemiological scenario via the classic susceptible-exposed-infected-removed (SEIR) approach. The World Health Organization's COVID-19 Essential Supplies Forecasting Tool was used to evaluate the healthcare resources needed for the next 12 weeks. Over the forecast period, there will be 104 713.7 hospital admissions due to severe disease and 34 904.5 hospital admissions due to critical disease. This will require 47 247.7 beds for severe disease and 1929.9 beds for critical disease at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. There will also be high needs for all categories of healthcare workers and for both diagnostic and treatment equipment. Thus, Republic of Kazakhstan faces the need for a rapid increase in available healthcare resources and/or for finding ways to redistribute resources effectively. Republic of Kazakhstan will be able to reduce the rates of infections and deaths among its population by developing and following a consistent strategy targeting COVID-19 in a number of inter-related directions.

Semenova Y, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2020 Jun;35(24):e227. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e227

Poor or suboptimal knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use is a cause for global concern and little is known about Central Asian countries. Therefore, this survey is aimed at evaluating awareness about antibiotic use and resistance among the adult population of Kazakhstan. A cross-sectional study of a random sample was conducted between October 2021 and February 2022 among 727 individuals without medical education and followed the methodology described in the WHO report “Antibiotic Resistance: Multi-country public awareness survey”. Half of the respondents (50.4%) received antibiotic therapy within the last 12 months, 40.1% had no prescription for this and 40.4% received no advice from a medical professional. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65.3%) never heard about antibiotic resistance and 57.2% believed that it is worth requesting the same antibiotic if it helped to treat a similar condition previously. In general, knowledge about antibiotic use proved to be low in 82.1% of respondents and 91.9% agreed with the statement that a common cold requires antibiotics. There is a need for awareness-raising campaigns to improve the knowledge about antibiotic use and resistance in the population of Kazakhstan.

Objectives: This study investigated stroke survivors and the characteristics of care management after discharge from hospital to home. The study aimed to identify caregiving difficulties and to assess mastery of skills in implementing recovery activities at home. This was a cross-sectional study. Methods: As part of the study, we interviewed 205 informal caregivers caring for stroke survivors. For descriptive statistics, frequencies, mean, medians, and standard deviations were calculated. Results: Caregivers determined that the main aim was to restore motor activity in 58% (p ≤ 0.021), and the difficulties they most often encounter during caregiving are difficulties related to obtaining information from medical personnel, or not understanding the information received in people under 50 years of age, which were indicated in 47.9% of cases, while in people over 50 years of age, this indicator was 49.5%. The emotional state of the informal caregivers is closely interrelated with the state of stroke survivors. The informal caregivers with a higher education are more resistant to these changes related to the patient’s health. Conclusions: The informal caregivers in East Kazakhstan face challenges such as inadequate preparation, limited resources, and emotional strain, hindering effective care. High rates of stroke-related impairments highlight the need for better rehabilitation programs and informal caregiver support. Future research should assess intervention programs and support systems.

Introduction: Studying the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia among medical workers in emergency medical services is a relevant task that will improve our understanding of scope of the problem and develop effective strategies to support and prevent psychological problems among medical staff. Insomnia is closely linked to anxiety and depression, as sleep disturbances can exacerbate emotional distress, while persistent anxiety and depressive symptoms contribute to sleep disruptions. Individuals suffering from insomnia are at a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression, creating a bidirectional relationship that negatively impacts overall mental well-being. This raises a crucial question: “What specific measures and intervention strategies can be implemented to reduce the levels of anxiety, depression, and insomnia among EMS personnel?” Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 592 medical workers employed in emergency medical services in the East Kazakhstan and Abay regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This study included questions regarding the socio-demographic data of the respondents, questions assessing the severity of insomnia using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and questions from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scale assessing the level of anxiety and depression among the participants. Results: Nearly a third of the EMS personnel reported symptoms of insomnia (28.2% subthreshold, 16.2% insomnia, and 3.0% severe), anxiety (22.1% subclinical, and 13.0% clinical), or depression (20.4% subclinical, and 9.8% clinical). Feldshers (nursing staff) and those with higher education had elevated levels of these conditions. The insomnia was strongly correlated with anxiety (r = 0.539, p < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.415, p < 0.001), emphasizing the need for targeted mental health interventions. Conclusions: This study found elevated levels of insomnia, anxiety, and depression among emergency medical service (EMS) personnel—especially nursing staff and those with higher education. We recommend comprehensive mental health support, routine screenings, stress management training, and integrating sleep hygiene into wellness programs.

Background/Objectives: Despite a wide range of international studies examining antibiotic prescribing practices among physicians, research from Central Asia remains scarce. To address this gap, the present study aimed to investigate antibiotic resistance awareness and prescribing practices among general practitioners (GPs) in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Methods: The online questionnaire was completed by 1231 GPs, including 469 from Kazakhstan, 274 from Kyrgyzstan, 369 from Uzbekistan, and 119 from Tajikistan. Results: Most physicians (71.1%) acknowledged that their antibiotic prescribing behavior influences the development of antibiotic resistance in their regions. More than half reported discussing antibiotic resistance with their patients often or very often. However, the strategy of delayed antibiotic prescribing was unknown to 27.1% of GPs. Factors associated with good knowledge of indications for antibiotic prescribing included female sex, older age, working in Uzbekistan, practicing in urban areas, seeing 20 or more patients per day, and use of practice guidelines. Clinical practice guidelines were the most frequently reported source of current information on antibiotic therapy and resistance (20.4%), followed by continuing professional education (15.9%) and textbooks (14.1%). The vast majority of GPs (94.4%) indicated a need for additional information resources to support more rational antibiotic prescribing. The most commonly cited needs were higher-quality clinical practice guidelines (22.5%) and better access to existing guidelines (17.7%). Conclusions: These findings suggest that, despite generally high awareness of antibiotic resistance, important knowledge gaps remain among GPs in Central Asia. Strengthening access to clinical guidelines and continuing professional education may support more rational antibiotic prescribing.